Discrete Wavelet Transform Based Measurement of Inner Race Defect Width in Taper Roller Bearing

Local bearing defect monitoring and measurement has been a challenging area of research for profitable use of motion. A technique based on decomposition using Symlet wavelet is implemented for measuring inner race defect width in a taper roller bearing. It is difficult to estimate the defect width in inner race because defect moves continuously with respect to accelerometer. The bursts are selected from the signal for measuring the defect width on the basis of their amplitude. The degree of ambiguity in detecting the entry point in the groove gets reduced by using Symlet5 wavelet based decomposition which is almost linear phase nature and hence, sharpness in the signal gets maintained even in case of sudden change induced in raw signal. The technique has been successfully implemented for measuring defect width ranging from 0.4714 to 1.8145 mm. The measurement of defect width has also been verified by image analysis. Maximum difference in measurements has been found to be 6.68 % for the defect width of 0.4714 mm at no load condition and this gets reduced to 1.21 % with increase in load. This method has also potential in dimension measurement of surfaces having dissimilar and uneven surface characteristics.     

Service Delivery Strategy: Trends in Mining Industries

Mine operators are increasingly outsourcing non-core business processes. Often, the maintenance issue is treated as a non-core business by the mining industry. In today's business environment, many industrial operators/users are interested in buying performance rather than physical products. It is a common practice for an original equipment manufacturer (OEM)/supplier of a product to own, operate, maintain, and support his product. Product performance in general is defined in a negotiated agreement. Even in a conventional product scenario a user/mine operator often prefers to outsource maintenance to OEMs or contractors in order to focus on core business goals. This paper reviews the recent trends in delivery of product support within segments of the mining industry. In this paper, we advocate the adoption of 'solution-selling' and 'total care solutions' into the mining industry. There appears to be a strong likelihood that these concepts can benefit the mining industry. Solution selling and total care solutions are seen as applicable to the mining industry because the product/equipment utilised in this industry are specialised and often expensive. The strategies addressed in this paper support a mine operator's option to buy processes instead of physical products, and the increasing demand for a total solution.     

Effect of friction stir welding process parameters on Mg-AZ31B/Al-AA6061 joints

In the present study, dissimilar alloys such as Mg-AZ31B and Al-AA6061 were joined by friction stir welding using different rotational (560, 710, 860 and 1010?rpm) and transverse speeds (16 and 25?mm/min). Metallographic studies (by optical, scanning electron microscope, SEM, and energy dispersive spectrometer, EDS) revealed that the speed parameters mainly influenced the microstructure growth mechanism, which further affects the mechanical properties and corrosion behavior. The combined dynamic action of rotational to transverse speed recrystallized and plasticized the material and produced an alternative lamellar shear band of Al and Mg in the stir zone (SZ). Peak temperature and high rotational speed formed an oxide on the top region and also caused liquation and intermetallic (IMCs) formation. Tensile strength and hardness increased as per the Hall–Petch (fine grains) effect. Higher impact energy was found at moderate rotational and low transverse speeds due to the presence of more soft Al patches. Tensile fractographs showed a river-like pattern, which indicated the brittle nature of the joints. High rotational and high transverse speed illustrated higher tensile strength, while better corrosion resistance was observed in high rotational and low transverse speed.     

Ultralow Voltage Manipulation of Ferromagnetism

Spintronic elements based on spin transfer torque have emerged with potential for on-chip memory, but they suffer from large energy dissipation due to the large current densities required. In contrast, an electric-field-driven magneto-electric storage element can operate with capacitive displacement charge and potentially reach 1–10 µJ cm⁻² switching operation. Here, magneto-electric switching of a magnetoresistive element is shown, operating at or below 200 mV, with a pathway to get down to 100 mV. A combination of phase detuning is utilized via isovalent La substitution and thickness scaling in multiferroic BiFeO₃ to scale the switching energy density to ≈10 µJ cm⁻². This work provides a template to achieve attojoule-class nonvolatile memories.     

Inhalable liposomes of Glycyrrhiza glabra extract for use in tuberculosis: formulation,in vitro characterization,in vivo lung deposition,and in vivo pharmacodynamic studies

Objective: The current study involves the development of liposomal dry powder for inhalation (LDPI) containing licorice extract (LE) for use in tuberculosis.

Significance: The current epidemiology of tuberculosis along with the increasing emergence of resistant forms of tuberculosis necessitates the need for developing alternative efficacious medicines for treatment. Licorice is a medicinal herb with reported activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Methods: Liposomes with LE were prepared by thin film hydration technique and freeze dried to obtain LDPI. The comprehensive in vitro and in vivo characterization of the LDPI formulation was carried out.

Results: The particle size of liposomes was around 210?nm with drug entrapment of almost 75%. Transmission electron microscopy revealed spherical shape of liposome vesicles. The flow properties of the LDPI were within acceptable limits. Anderson Cascade Impactor studies showed the mean median aerodynamic diameter, geometric standard deviation and fine particle fraction of the LDPI to be 4.29?µm, 1.23, and 54.68%, respectively. In vivo lung deposition studies of LDPI in mice showed that almost 46% of the drug administered reaches the lungs and 16% of administered drug is retained in the lungs after 24?hours of administration. The in vivo pharmacodynamic evaluation of the LDPI showed significant reduction in bacterial counts in lungs as well as spleen of TB-infected mice.

Conclusions: LE LDPI thus has a promising potential to be explored as an effective anti-tubercular medicine or as an adjunct to existing anti-tubercular drugs.     

Irradiation-induced brittle-to-ductile transition in α-quartz

Silicate materials such as quartz and silica glass are inherently brittle in nature. Here, using atomistic simulations, we demonstrate that the quartz crystal exhibits a brittle-to-ductile transition when irradiated. We show that the nanoscale plasticity observed in the irradiated structure is reminiscent of metal-like plasticity, which is neither observed in the isochemical crystalline or glassy structure. Invoking an energy landscape approach, we demonstrate that the local atomic self-organization facilitated by the shallow energy landscape is at the origin of this plastic behavior. Overall, the results suggest that the irradiation could be a methodology to induce a ductile transition in materials that are otherwise brittle.     

Recovery of Drug Delivery Nanoparticles from Human Plasma Using an Electrokinetic Platform Technology

The effect of complex biological fluids on the surface and structure of nanoparticles is a rapidly expanding field of study. One of the challenges holding back this research is the difficulty of recovering therapeutic nanoparticles from biological samples due to their small size, low density, and stealth surface coatings. Here, the first demonstration of the recovery and analysis of drug delivery nanoparticles from undiluted human plasma samples through the use of a new electrokinetic platform technology is presented. The particles are recovered from plasma through a dielectrophoresis separation force that is created by innate differences in the dielectric properties between the unaltered nanoparticles and the surrounding plasma. It is shown that this can be applied to a wide range of drug delivery nanoparticles of different morphologies and materials, including low‐density nanoliposomes. These recovered particles can then be analyzed using different methods including scanning electron microscopy to monitor surface and structural changes that result from plasma exposure. This new recovery technique can be broadly applied to the recovery of nanoparticles from high conductance fluids in a wide range of applications.     

Fast release of liquid antisolvent precipitated fenofibrate at high drug loading from biocompatible thin films

Motivated by recent papers on nano and micro-particle slurry casting of poorly water-soluble drugs forming biocompatible films with enhanced properties, this work explores incorporation of liquid antisolvent (LAS) precipitated suspensions of fenofibrate, a model poorly soluble drug using both semi-synthetic (HPMC E15 LV) and natural (sodium alginate, SA) polymer as film formers. Centrifugation and subsequent resuspension were employed to minimize residual solvent and increase drug loading (～20%) in the LAS suspensions and in the film. Film’s critical quality attributes (CQAs), including drug distribution and uniformity, mechanical properties, and dissolution were assessed. Crystalline nature of FNB was largely preserved in the film without any polymorphic changes confirmed by XRD, DSC, and Raman. The NIR chemical imaging, corroborated by SEM imaging and drug content relative standard deviation (RSD) indicates that the drug is uniformly distributed without any observable large agglomerates. The films with SA showed lower mechanical strength as compared to HPMC due to SA’s low molecular weight. All films exhibited immediate drug release as has been the case using FNB nano particles in previous papers. Interestingly, although addition of plasticizer improved film dissolution, HPMC-based films had a faster dissolution compared to SA-based films in spite of higher mechanical strength of the former.     

Ultra-fine dispersible powders coated with l-Leucine via two-step co-milling

Dispersion of ultrafine powders is difficult due to their high cohesion and consequent agglomeration. Dry coating with additives such as nano-silica, magnesium stearate (MgSt), or Leucine (Leu), an amino acid, may help mitigate this problem. Unfortunately, when the powders to be coated are very fine, the additives such as MgSt or Leu need to be of even finer size, requiring a separate milling process. Here, a two-step co-milling process is investigated to produce well dispersible inhalable size range (<5 µm) particles. The main advantage is that the powder to be coated and additives have starting size of several hundred microns and do not require separate pre-milling. In the first step, Potassium Chloride (KCl), used as a surrogate API, and Leu are pre-milled in a ball mill to achieve KCl coated with Leu of ～10?µm. In the second step, simultaneous co-milling via jet-milling of pre-coated KCl down to inhalable size KCl, coated with Leu is done. The dispersibility of coated KCl was assessed through laser diffraction of dry powder at low dispersion pressure (Sympatec Rodos-Helos), corroborated via scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and FT4 powder tester measuring flow function coefficient (FFC), conditioned bulk density, and aerated energy. This assessment revealed that about 2?wt% Leu was adequate to provide best overall dispersibility. The dispersibility of milled KCl after coating with Leu was found to be better compared with uncoated and MgSt or nano-silica coated KCl. Overall, this two-step co-milling of KCl with 2?wt% Leu yielded well-dispersible, <5?µm particles from starting particles of two orders of magnitude larger sizes.     

Recent progress in barium zirconate proton conductors for electrochemical hydrogen device applications: A review

Electrochemical hydrogen devices like fuel cells are widely investigated as promising technologies to mitigate the rising environmental challenges and enhance the renewable energy economy. In these devices, proton-conducting oxides (PCOs) are applied as electrolyte materials to transport protons. Excellent physical stability and higher proton transport number are two essential properties of electrolyte materials. Doped BaZrO₃ (BZO) is a solid ion-conducting perovskite material with high chemical stability and good proton-conducting properties at an intermediate temperature range of 400–650 °C. Therefore, BZO is an attractive material among the exciting proton-conducting oxides as electrolyte material. To enhance the proton transport properties and improve the material fabrication process of BZO, techniques such as the use of dopants, sintering aid, synthesis methods are crucial. The present review work highlights the applications of BZO as electrolyte material in electrochemical hydrogen devices such as hydrogen isotopes separation systems, hydrogen sensors, hydrogen pumps, and protonic ceramic fuel cells (PCFCs) or solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). The central section of this review summarizes the recent research investigations of these applications and provides a comprehensive insight into the various synthesis process, doping, sintering aid, operating environments, and operating condition's impact on the composition, morphology, and performance of BZO electrolyte materials. Based on the reviewed literature, remarks on current challenges and prospects are provided. The presented information on in-depth analysis of the physical properties of barium zirconate electrolyte's along with output performance will guide aspirants in conducting research further on this field.